10 Day Budget Namibian Explorer

  Namibia

Windhoek

Dates: Every Tuesday All Year Round

Description: This overland tour covers the main areas of interest in Namibia as well as animal viewing at the famous Etosha National Park.

Etosha is the main tourist draw in Namibia, ahead of the Namib Desert. At 22,270 km it is one of the largest parks in Africa, and certainly one of the best-known. Etosha has three camps - Okaukuejo, favoured for its floodlit water hole frequented by "specials" such as elephant, giraffe, black rhino and lion; Namutoni, characterised by the historic fort around which it is centred; and Halali, conveniently situated halfway between Okaukuejo and Namutoni.

Highlights: Low budget safari is what many of our clients ask for and they do not get any better value than this one. Yes, you have to do some of the work around camp, but you will see a great deal on your travels for a great deal. On this safari there are opportunities to meet the indigenous people, see and experience exciting places such as the Skeleton Coast and the Namib Desert, as well as viewing animals in a number of locations.

Etosha National Park is the main draw in Namibia, with the Namib Desert a close second.

Etosha is one of the largest parks in Africa, and one of the best-known. Huge herds can be seen teeming against the unique backdrop of the dried up lake - Etosha Pan. The loepard and lions lie in the sun with full bellies. After the rains the pan is briefly transformed into a vast inland lake where flamingos breed and a diverse aquatic life suddenly comes to life.

With this dry environment the water holes are a magnet for the animals and make it easy for you to see part of the daily life of many wonderful animals. More about the climate.

This safari starts and finishes in Windhoek with a departure every Saturday all year and every Wednesday during July, August and September, leaving at 09:00, returning ten days later at about 15:00 .

You will be collected from your accommodation in Windhoek on Saturday morning between 08:00 and 08:30 and you should be on the road by about 09:00. The price reflects the participatory nature of this safari ' you have to help set up / break camp and cook meals.

Itinerary

Day 1 Windhoek - Waterberg Plateau Nature Reserve
Pick up from your hotel at about 08.00 in the morning.

We start by travelling via the small town of Okahandja (meet the local craftspeople), then we head north to Waterberg Plateau, the 'Table Mountain' of Namibia. Waterberg Plateau towers high above the surrounding plains, dominating the landscape and providing us with an ideal campsite for your first night. We aim to arrive in time for lunch, giving you the afternoon to make use of the swimming pool and to take the Mountain View Hike to the top of the plateau. Travel 300 km. Camping overnight. L, D.

Day 2 Waterberg Plateau - Etosha National Park
An early start and continuing north we pass through some small towns, making short stops for supplies and fuel. Our first main port of call today is the mysterious Lake Otjikoto. Otjikoto is in fact Namibia's largest permanent natural lake and we take time here to rest a little and learn something about the history of this unusual landmark.

Continuing on to Namutoni camp in Etosha National Park we again aim to arrive in time for lunch, giving you time to relax before heading out into the park during the cool of the late afternoon for our first animal viewing drive.

After your evening meal there are still more chances to see Etosha's wildlife at Namutoni's floodlit waterhole. Situated on the boundary of the camp and easily reachable on foot from your tent, elephants are regular visitors here and there is a good chance of seeing other species as well. Travel 300 km. Camping overnight. B, L, D.

Day 3 Namutoni camp, Etosha National Park
Namutoni is our first two-night stop. No breaking camp today, so we go straight out on an early morning animal viewing drive. We visit some of the numerous waterholes in the area hoping to catch some of Etosha's big mammals out for an early morning drink. The viewing opportunities around the Namutoni area are some of the best in the park. We cover several different terrains this morning, from wooded areas to open savannah and in the rainy season, wetland.

Back to camp in the late morning and after lunch there is time once again to relax during the heat of the day. The pool area here is very good, shaded by palm trees and a stone's throw away from the waterhole. As on day two, we take a short drive in the late afternoon, often driving out to one of the waterholes and wait for the animals to come to us. Camping overnight. B, L, D.

Day 4 Namutoni camp - Okaukuejo camp, Etosha National Park
A full day's animal viewing driving. We again leave early to enjoy the cool morning air. We drive our way through Etosha to Halali camp, situated in the middle of the park. Along the way we visit several waterholes and are afforded splendid views of the massive Etosha Pan. The wildlife viewing is usually excellent and we have the chance to tick off a few new species that are not normally seen on the Namutoni side of the park. We stop at Halali for a rest and a leisurely lunch.

There is also time to visit the Halali waterhole and to make use of the swimming pool and bar facilities before continuing on our way to Okaukuejo camp. Okaukuejo is famous for its waterhole. It has been described as one of the "best wildlife viewing opportunities in Southern Africa". Situated on the doorstep of our campsite, black rhino, elephant, lion and numerous species of antelope are often seen. Camping overnight. B, L, D.

Day 5 Okaukuejo camp - Aba Huab Desert Camp, Damaraland
Leaving Etosha we are en-route for the desert and the most scenic campsite of our safari. We make a stop at a small town called Outjo where we can get coffee, sticky cakes and make use of the Internet Cafe. We then drive west to Khorixas, the capital of the Damaraland region. A short break here and then, leaving the sealed roads far behind us, we drive into the desert.

We stop for lunch at the Petrified Forest geological site, where a local guide will take us around and explain about the pre-historic trees, before continuing on to our campsite on the banks of the Aba Huab riverbed, in the vicinity of Twyfelfontein.

The Damaraland scenery is some of the best in Namibia; open grasslands studded with massive granite kopjes create the feeling of being surrounded by mountains.

We are well into desert elephant and black rhino country and other wildlife such as springbok, ostrich and gemsbok are often seen. Aba Huab Desert Camp is right in the middle of this wilderness providing basic facilities including showers and a small bar. We aim to arrive in the early afternoon and have time to relax in the shade before making a late afternoon excursion to Twyfelfontein itself.

Here, again, a local guide will introduce us to the ancient Bushman rock engravings or petroglyphs. We also make a visit to another geological site in the area called the Organ Pipes. Travel 350 km. Camping overnight. B, L, D.

Day 6 Aba Huab - Swakopmund
More beautiful Damaraland scenery this morning. We pass Namibia's highest mountain, the Brandberg (2573 m) and make our first stop of the morning in the small town of Uis. This old mining town, is one of the best places to buy semi-precious stones, for which Namibia is famous. Here, rough Amethyst, Tourmaline etc can be found at bargain prices.

From here we turn west and cross the gravel plains on our way to the Atlantic Ocean and the Skeleton Coast. Meeting the ocean at Henties Bay, we first head north along the coast to visit the seal colony at Cape Cross. Here at certain times of the year there can be as many as 100,000 Cape Fur seals.

The next destination is Swakopmund, stopping for lunch en-route and following the Skeleton Coast into Namibia's premier seaside town. There is no suitable campsite available in Swakopmund, so we make the most of being back in civilization by staying in holiday chalets.

The Swakopmund section of the trip is designed to allow people to relax either with the group, or on their own. Only breakfast is provided. This is to allow you to plan your time here with as much flexibility as possible and not to be tied to group meal times. It also gives you the chance to sample some of the excellent local cafes and restaurants. The seafood in Swakopmund is superb.

Your guide will offer to organise a group meal in a local restaurant for this evening. Participation is recommended but by no means required. Travel 400 km. Chalet Accommodation. B, L, D.

Day 7 Swakopmund
Today is a free day. The idea is to allow time for everybody to do their own thing. Swakopmund is a very pleasant seaside town with lots of shops, a good stretch of beach (although the Atlantic here is quite cold) and an open-air curio market. There is also a very good museum and the Namibian National Marine Aquarium is located in Swakopmund.

Alternatively, there are various optional activities (at extra cost) that can be arranged. These include aeroplane and microlight flights over the desert, scenic drives, fishing trips (both from the beach or in a boat), four-wheel motorcycle (quad bike) trips into the desert and over the sand dunes around Swakopmund, sand boarding trips (also in the dunes), skydiving, surfing, bird-watching and many other activities are available.

Your tour guide will discuss all the possible options with you before you reach Swakopmund and will offer to make bookings in advance of your arrival. N.B. All extra activities and excursions in Swakopmund are subject to availability and are made at the clients' own risk and expense. Chalet Accommodation. B, L, D.

Day 8 Swakopmund - Sesriem
Away by 09:00 and a little further down the coast to the port town of Walvis Bay. South of the town there is a large marine lagoon which is home to a vast array of marine bird life, in particular flamingos. We will make a short visit to the lagoon to see the birds and a short visit to Walvis Bay to collect any last minute supplies before once again heading out into the desert.

The first part of our journey today takes us across more of the seemingly endless Namib gravel plains. Then the landscape suddenly changes and we are into the mountain desert. We traverse both the Kuiseb and Gaub passes, driving both times to the river beds at the bottom of the canyons and then climbing the long steep road to the top and enjoying the spectacular panoramas the mountains provide. Again the scenery changes as we make our way down to the dune fields at Sesriem.

We cross some open grass savannah and farmlands before the terrain begins to give way to the immense red sand dune desert of the Namib. We stop for lunch in the desert en-route and arrive in Sesriem during the late afternoon. We have time to relax and watch the sunset over the dunes from our campsite. Travel 300 km. Camping overnight. B, L, D.

Day 9 Sesriem - Sossusvlei - Sesriem
A pre-dawn start to see the sunrise in the dunes. From our campsite we drive a further 60-km into the desert and have our breakfast as the colours change and glow across the landscape. To reach Sossusvlei itself we must then walk for the last five-km through the dunes. The walk is like nothing else, in the cool of the morning, with soft sunlight just beginning to play over the dunes creating a sharp light and shadow contrast across the whole desert. Ancient mineral pans, stunted Camel thorn trees and the chance of seeing a gemsbok or maybe an ostrich make for wonderful photo opportunities.

We spend the morning in and around Sossusvlei (there is a good chance of getting a ride in a four-wheel drive vehicle for the return 5-km walk and there is often a four-wheel drive shuttle service available in both directions for a small extra charge), but as the day wears on we return to our camp for lunch and to escape the heat of the day. Back into the usual rhythm of relaxing in the shade and eating ice cream beside the swimming pool or, having a siesta, or both. As the day cools off in the late afternoon we will take a short excursion to Sesriem Canyon. Travel 150 km. Camping overnight. B, L, D.

Day 10 Sesriem - Windhoek
A fairly leisurely start to our last day. After breakfast we begin our journey, along scenic roads, back to Windhoek. We stop for a last lunch en-route and rejoin the sealed road at Rehoboth, about 100 km south of Windhoek. We are due back into the city around 15:00 and you will be dropped off at your accommodation on our return. Travel 380 km. B, L.

Cost in US$: 993

Participants Travel to Namibia Independently

Post Services Include:

• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Nepal Kingdom Foundation & Muirs Tours's Mission Statement: The Nepal Kingdom Foundation was established in 1982 to develop community spirit and preserve the culture and traditions of the Nepalese people in the UK. In 1999 the objectives were extended to include development projects in Nepal to help the needy of one of the world's poorest countries. The not-for-profit tour operation - Muirs Tours was set up in July 1999 by the Nepal Kingdom Foundation as a means of raising funds for use in projects in Nepal and the Nepalese Community in the UK. From the outset Muirs Tours planned to provide trips to other places outside of Nepal and support to other charities. It currently supports the WWF, the John Muir Trust, Tourism Concern, Survival International, the Tibetan Government in exile, the American Indian Heritage Foundation as well as the Nepal Kingdom Foundation.

Year Founded: 1982 & 1999